Health preservation is the prevention of illness, which is achieved through various methods such as nourishing the mind, adjusting diet, exercising the body, being cautious in sexual activity, and adapting to cold and warmth. It is a comprehensive activity to strengthen the body and prolong life.
1. Deep thinking
One is the concept of harmony between heaven and humanity in health preservation. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that heaven and earth are a big universe, and the human body is a small universe. Heaven and humanity are interconnected, and humans are constantly influenced by heaven and earth, just like fish in water. Water is all fish, and changes in water will definitely affect fish. Similarly, all changes in heaven and earth will affect humans. Therefore, traditional Chinese medicine emphasizes the integration of heaven and man in health preservation, and the methods of health preservation should be adjusted appropriately according to the climate changes of the four seasons, such as cold, hot, warm, and cool.
Secondly, the health concept of balancing yin and yang. People with a balance of yin and yang are the healthiest, and the goal of health preservation is to achieve a balance between body and mind yin and yang. What is yin? Yin is the material foundation that constitutes the body. What is yang? Yang is energy, while Yin and Yang are relative. Anything that is upward, outward, active, or generates heat belongs to Yang; Anything that is downward, inward, or chilly belongs to yin. The reason why the body gets sick is because of the imbalance between yin and yang, causing excessive yang or yin deficiency, yin deficiency or yang deficiency. As long as we try to reduce the excessive side and increase the insufficient side, and restore the original balance of yin and yang, the disease will naturally disappear invisibly. Therefore, traditional Chinese medicine highly emphasizes the balance of yin and yang for a healthy life.
Thirdly, a holistic view of physical and mental integration. Traditional Chinese medicine focuses on both physical and mental health, not only exercising and maintaining the physical body, but also cultivating and nurturing the mind. The body can affect the mind, and the mind can also affect the body. The two are two sides of one and cannot be lacking.
2. Extend life
At the beginning of the Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon, the first question is about the decline of relational functions and lifespan: "I have heard that in ancient times, people lived for a hundred years in spring and autumn, but their movements did not decline. In today's world, people are half a hundred years old but their movements are all declining. Will the times be different? Will people lose their age?" The Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing continuously proposes the concept of "not aging". Nie Wentao pointed out in his book "Seeking the Wisdom of Shennong" that the development of traditional Chinese medicine and traditional Chinese medicine did not rely on accidental experience accumulation, but on the exploration of a large number of ancient philosophers in pursuit of higher health levels.
As mentioned in the Tao Te Ching, those who are good at health preservation know how to avoid physical and mental harm. They know how to avoid the invasion of diseases through correct diet and healthy lifestyle, and thus gain health, which will also prolong their lives compared to the average person. When people can stay away from illness and pain, they can naturally delay aging and extend their lifespan.